Cheilanthes lerstenii Mickel & Beitel:
Guatemala (Mesoamerica)
Honduras (Mesoamerica)
Mexico (Mesoamerica)

Cheilanthes pyramidalis var. arizonica (Maxon) M. Broun:
Guatemala (Mesoamerica)
Honduras (Mesoamerica)
Mexico (Mesoamerica)
United States (North America)

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Huachuca Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona. Ranges to South America according to Arizona ranking form (3/99).

The distinctive Cheilanthes arizonica is an apogamous triploid of unknown parentage. In the flora, it is known from about seven localities, all of which are situated within 50 km of the Mexican border.

Stems short-creeping, usually 4--8 mm diam.; scales uniformly dark brown or with poorly defined, dark, central stripe, narrowly lanceolate, straight to slightly contorted, loosely appressed, usually persistent. Leaves clustered, 8--25 cm; vernation circinate. Petiole dark brown, grooved most of length adaxially. Blade elongate-pentagonal, 3-pinnate-pinnatifid to 4-pinnate at base, 4--10 cm wide; rachis grooved adaxially, lacking scales, with minute, widely scattered hairs. Pinnae not articulate, dark color of stalk continuing into pinna base, basal pair conspicuously larger than adjacent pair, inequilateral, proximal basiscopic pinnules enlarged, glabrous adaxially. Costae green adaxially for most of length; abaxial scales absent. Ultimate segments elliptic to linear-oblong, not beadlike, the largest 4--10 mm, abaxially with reddish, scattered, sessile glands, adaxially glabrous; false indusia marginal to obscurely inframarginal, strongly differentiated, 0.25--0.50 mm wide. Sori ± continuous around segment margins. Sporangia containing 32 spores. n = 2 n = 90, apogamous.

Cheilanthes pyramidalis Fée subsp. arizonica Maxon, Amer. Fern J. 8: 116. 1918; C. pyramidalis Fée var. arizonica (Maxon) Broun

Comments: Terrestrial in soil or epipetric on rock walls in the shade.

Sporulating summer--fall. Rocky slopes and ledges, on quartzite or igneous substrates; 1900--2400 m; Ariz.; Mexico; Central America in Guatemala, Honduras.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 9
Species: 9
Species With Barcodes: 1

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N2 - Imperiled

Rounded Global Status Rank: G4 - Apparently Secure

Reasons: Ranges from southern Arizona to South America. Lellinger (1985), describes as "occasional" in occurrence. Abundance unknown.

Comments: A distinct species in a genus of about 125 species found in dry places from southwestern U.S. to Peru.